Graduation Term

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

School of Communication

Committee Chair

John R. Baldwin

Abstract

Music has long driven labor movements around the world. In instances such as the Gastonia strikes of the 1920s and the United Farm Workers of America’s fight for agricultural workers, labor protest songs have fueled workers to fight for their rights. In this thesis, I note the importance of BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color), especially women and nonbinary (and other gender minority) People of Color, in the history of labor protest music. Drawing on intersectional theory, I then analyze eight modern texts, songs by gender minority BIPOC, which reference labor. My thematic analysis demonstrates that my texts converge the past, present, and future to discuss the history of labor exploitation and imagine possible futures beyond such exploitation. Crucially, the composers of my texts were all intersectional, which influenced their messages about labor. I conclude by reiterating the fact that labor always has been an intersectional issue, and the topic warrants intersectional analysis.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2024.20240827063557491427.999975

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